It was just another slow news Tuesday when Android Headlines dropped the CAD renders of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8. Although the foldable isn’t arriving with a dramatic makeover, what’s changing under the hood is worth getting excited about (sort of).
After swinging for the fences with the Fold 7 last year, making it the thinnest foldable they’ve ever shipped, Samsung is leaving the design largely unchanged. You’d still get the same sharp corners, flat sides, and the same display setup — an 8-inch inner screen and a 6.5-inch cover screen.
Is the S Pen making a comeback on the Fold 8?
The camera bump looks the same, too, housing three sensors, and the under-display camera is still not happening. So, what’s changing? For one, the Fold 8 could measure 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.5 mm (5.5 mm with the camera bump) unfolded and 158.4 x 72.8 x 9 mm folded, and there could be a very good reason behind that.
Although it’s not immediately clear from the renders, the outlet speculates that the slightly thicker profile could be due to the return of the S Pen. Samsung quietly dropped S Pen support from the Fold 7 to keep it as thin as possible, and although it worked at first, Samsung’s fans later felt a little betrayed.
As a result, Samsung might bring back the digitizer layer that supports inputs via the S Pen, and the slight uptick in thickness could be the biggest clue about it.
Does the Fold 8 include any other meaningful upgrades?
Beyond the S Pen, the Fold 8 could see a meaningful camera upgrade. While the 200MP primary camera might remain the same, the 12MP ultrawide camera should be swapped with a 50MP camera, adding more details to your landscape or group shots.
Under the hood, the Fold 8 should run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, which is a slightly overclocked version of the regular version on the OnePlus 15. To ensure the device lasts longer between charges, Samsung could equip it with a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 45W wired charging.
If that happens, it could be the first time since Fold 3 that Samsung’s foldable gets a battery capacity upgrade.
Pricing is expected to hold steady at $1,999, which should come as a relief after last year’s $200 hike. However, given the $100 higher price tag for the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus, I’d remain skeptical about the Fold 8’s pricing for now.
Like every year, the Fold 8 is expected to debut at the mid-year Galaxy Unpacked event, usually held in July. Along with the phone, Samsung could also launch the Flip 8 and the rumored wide-screen foldable. This would also give it a head start over Apple’s rumored iPhone Fold, which is now rumored to ship in December 2026.